Theatrical novelty



Dec. 1 1925- Era 4 Sheet s-Sheet l will J. A. PARTINGTON THEATRICAL NOVELTY Filed March 24, 1925 IN VENTOR A'T'T'Oi/VEYS.

Dec. 1,

J. A. PARTINGTON THEATRICAL NOVELTY 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 24 TOR.

ll. llLllulllllrlll ||||l lllllll IL A T TORNEY$ Dec. 1, 1925- 1,563,782 J. A. PARTINGTON THEATRICAL NOVELTY Filed March 24. 192 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 9W 1 7 M ATTOA Nfi Dec; 1, 1925 J. A. PARTINGTON THEATRICAL NOV-ELTY Filed March 24, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec; 1, 1925.

Jaeie A. ramrrne'ron, OE-SAN- rmmerseo, CALLEORNIA.

:nHEABR Q oj EsmiY.

Appl ication filed Marchfi l, 1925.- Seriallio 17,993,

To alt 107mm;'it may concern.)

Be; it known that I, JACK; JL- \.IIJAVLK"PIXG'I:ON a (llhlf/fill of the United'St ates, residing, at theeity and county of San li ancisco and State of California, have v invented new and usetul; Iinproven entsin, Theatrical Novel ties, of which the following is a; specifiea inent of such settings in. a manner, wherein the same Will be most clearly observed by the'audienee, etc It is; the; primary objeet of my i -1 ve iti qn to provide a, theatrical novelty wherein these and; other, advantageous featuresare n ost ellieiently obtained.

More specifically, my inventi on comprises a; movable platter-1n, n iounted on tracks extending; -litnwardl and; rearwardly on the stag-e oi: the thBiLt-Glh Bower means is protilled for'ii oving the platform to different positions along the; tracks. Other: poier means, as hydraulic rains, is provided. beneath the stage for raising the platform \X timlgly to. a higherlev'el above the stage, such ponrenmeans being preferably provided at different positions, along the tracks whereby tl'ie platiiorin can be. raised from its .lilterent positions on the st e. As hereinatter more specifically described, this platform may carry an orcl'iestra, a corps 0t asters, a stage scene. or any similar setting. The arrangement is such that the 11 lat1tor1n can be quiekly moved both horizmltally and vertically to. various positions on theistage thereby plishh1g2;v the vari" ous objectsrand advantages hereinafter described.

W th the above and other;

liieet i n. ew

as, Will, hereinajiter appe m v invent on ronsists in the features oil; eoiistructio i and operation set. to! h in the sp cation and ill.=u,-st1-a terl in the a cqqlnpanyiri g to and forming partoii this spec I have. shown c iin speeifie en of iiiv illVQ-I'it-iOII', but it will be me that the invention can be otherwise of inventionithe claiinsappended to this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Referring to the figures of the drawings: a Fig. 1 illiistrates asectional viexv through a stage showing one of my movable platm! nd e 'sveti ll- Big, 2 is; a siniilar View showing the niovableiplatfor n in other positions and incombination with a second andauxiliary mov able platform. i i

Eig, 3 is a view similar, toFig. 1 showing tlie ninain n ovable platform-in another positi n,

Fig. 4L is a fragmentary plan view of the stagei'showing n ovable platforms and. the various partsthereof in detail;

Fig. 5 is. "a sectional view through the main n ovablepl atforni and stageand show- Referriirv more speoilically to the drawin s fy i' s' ten hara rs; dicat h Stage of a theater having a pair of tracks extending.- forwardly and rearwardly lilll o llgh tllgk912i): thereof. My niain movable plattorlnfii is; carried on a plurality of who s on tl'iese tracks; As ilh sti the; platform isota length e tenchng, substantially across the width 01? t Stage-T 'ie r iiidved f long the. track by an etectjric notor O 1 s. n efeta ly of the! "1 a to occupy one of these extreme positions. A power means, now to be described, 1s provided beneath the stage at these places for elevating the platform. This power means preferably comprises front and rear pairs of hydraulic rams 12 and 13 respectively beneath the extreme front and rear platform portions of the stage.

The platformB is of rigid steel frame construction, as illustrated, and adjacent each end thereof is provided a supporting bracket 1 1 having a ram receiving socket 15 therein. This supporting bracket leis riveted to and between two steel beams 16 having their ends riveted to the two steel beams 17 in turn having their ends riveted to the main outside steel beams or girders 18 of the platform. The sockets 15 are each of a shape and size to accurately receive a lifting ramtherein, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9. I

As shown in Fig. 9, the upper end of each .ram extends through a ring plate 19 secured to the stage floor and having a downwardly extending flange 20 beveled off at 21. The upper end of'each ram comprises two tubular steel shells 22 and 23 supporting a ring-like plate 2 1 at their upper ends. A compression spring 25 is mounted within the shell 23 between a bottom plate 26 and a movable block 27. A. pin 28 is secured to the upper wall of the socket 15 and extends downwardly in a manner cooperating with the block 27 \Vhen the ram is in its normal and lowermost position, the topsurfaces of the plate 2 1 and block 27 are substantially flush with the stage floor. When the ram moves upwardly into the socket the block 27 engages the pin 28 and the spring 25 is compressed, thereby acting as a shock absorber relieving the engagement of the ram with the platform.

The rams 12 and 13 operate respectively in cylinders 29 and 30 within a concrete foundation 31, a dash pot arrangement 32 being provided in the bottoms of the cylinders to cushion the rams. Fluid pressure is supplied to the cylinders from an elevated tank 33 having a downwardly extending supply pipe 34. This pipe is in communication with a pipe 35 in communication with two rearwardly extending pipes 36 and two forward pipes 37 controlled respectively by valves 38 and 39. A pipe 40 connects the pipe 35 with a lower tank 41 and two valves 42 and 43 respectively control the communication to the tanks33 and 41. A motor 44: operates a pump 45 to pump oil or other pressure fluid used from thetank 4.1 to the tank 33 under pressure.

V The frame of the platform 3is providedwith a curtain 4E6 rolled on a ro1ler47. This roller can be controlled manually by a cord 18 shown in Fig. 7 or automatically by a weight 49 shown in Fig. 6. The weight 49 is hung on a cord 50 attached to the stage floor at 51 and extending over a pulley 52. The pulley 52 is connected by a chain 53 to the curtain roller. As the platform is raised and lowered the chain is automatically operated to lower and raise the curtain. This automatically operating device can be used only when the platform is not to be moved horizontally, since an attachment must be made to the floor at 51.

During the movement of the platform 3 the electric cords 54, 55 and 56 to the motor 5 and lighting effects on the platform are automatically cared for by winding reels 57, 58 and 59, each reel being kept tensioned in a winding-up direction by a spring 60 011 a rod 61 connected to the reel by bevel gears 62. The cords run over pulleys 63 and between pulleys 64; and thence to a socket connection in. the stage floor. When the platform is moved forwardly and backwardly the cord is guided by the pulleys 64-.

The operation of my invention is as follows: The platform 3 can be moved to either its forward or rearward positions by means of the motor 5, the stops 8 and 9 acting to accurately position the platform over the front and rear lifting rains. The pump 45 forces fluid to the elevated tank 33 under pressure. By controlling the valves above described either the front or rear rams 12 and 13 can be raised and elevate the platform to a desired position above the stage floor. When lowering the rams the fluid empties into the tank ll from which it is pumped to the tank 33. It is believed that theoperation of this mechanism will be understood wit-l'iout further description herein.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, I have, for the purpose of giving a general idea of the use of my invention, diagramn'iatically illustrated certain positions that my movable platform may asume. It will, however, be understood that the parts may be placed in relations other than those illustrated and that my invention is in no manner limited to these particular effects shown and described.

The front of the stage is indicated at 6.5 and the front curtain at 66. In Fig. 1, I have illustrated the platform 3 as resting on the stage in its forward position. We will assume that in this act the orchestra occupies the platform. When the curtain 66 7 goes up the orchestra plays an opening num- Thereafter the motor 5 is operated to ber. move the platform to its rearward position and the rams 13 are operated to raise the platform to the position illustrated in dash lines, the curtain 46 being drawn down at this time. This operation will preferably be" performed during the last part of the orchestral number since the movement of the platform in no manner affects the or- Chestra or its act. The front of the stage Illl masses is thusquicklycleared without any interruption of the show and is ready for the next act, and the;orchestra, which ordinarily accompanies the act, is man elevated position in full viewof the audinece. Thus the audience has a clear view of both the act and the accompanying orchestra which are on different levels, the main act being in' the foreground.

It may furthermore be stated that while the last mentioned act is going on, a scene may be beneath the platform 3 behind the curtain 46. When the act finished,

the curtain 46 may be raised and the next scene enacted beneath the platform, which is, of course, in full view of the audience.

In Figs. 2 and 4'1 have illustrated a second platform 67 on the tracks 2, this platform being shorter than the platform 3 and of a length to pass between the pairs of rams 12 and 13. The rear curtain is in dicated at 68. During one of the acts above described the platform 67 which is in the rear of the stage may be prepared for a scene. Then, after the platform 3 is elerated the curtain 16 can be raised and the platform 67 with its scene thereon rolled to the front of the stage, the platform 67 being provided with a motor similar to the motor This scene and the orchestra on the elevated platform 3 are thereupon both in clear View of the audience as illustrated in dash lines. Before raising thecurtain 46 a scenic background 70 will be placed about the rear portion of the platform 67.

in Fig. 3, I have illust "ated the platform i in its front elevated position. During an orchestral number or a portion thereof, the platform may be elevated to this position and a scene arranged beneath the platform, the curtain 46 being drawn downat this time, The secenery may be mounted on rollers and include a background 69. l Vhen the orchestra-l number is finished, the curtain 46 can be raised to show this scene. Thus, this act and the accompanying orrhestra are both at the front of the stage in direct view of the audience, the act and the orchestra being on different levels.

Many and various other similar relations may be provided by the use of my in vent-ion as will be readily understood.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1, A theatrical novelty comprising in combination with a stage and a track there on, a platform supported on'and movable along the track to a plurality of positions on the stage, and power means normally beneath the stage for elevating the platform from the track and stage in one of such positions. i

2. A theatrical novelty comprising in combination with a stage, a platform movable to a forward position and a rearward posit-ion on the stage, power means for so moving the platform, fluid operating means beneath the stagefor elevating the platform in one of such positions, and means carried by the platform and cooperating with the fluid operated ineans for holding form in place thereon.

A theati'ieal novelty comprising in combination with a stage, a platform exmotor carried by the platform and connected to certain of the wheels for driving the platform, and hydraulic rams beneath the stage adapted to raise the platform above the stage.

5. A theatrical novelty comprising in combination with a stage, a platform movable to a plurality of positions on the stage, an electric motor carried by the platform for moving the platform forwardly and rearwardlyv to a plurality of positions on the stage, and power means beneath the stage for elevating the platform in these positions.

6. VA theatrical novelty comprising in combination with a stage, a platform mow able to a forward position and a rearward position on the stage, power means beneatl'l the stage for elevating the platform to a higher level in one of such positions, a curtain hung from the front of the platform for hiding the space beneath I the raised platforn'i, and means for operating the curtain.

7. A theatrical novelty comprising in combination with a stage, a platform movable to a plurality of positions on the stage, an electric motor carried by the platform for moving the platfornii forwardly and rearwardly to a plurality of poitions on the stage, a supporting socket member carried by the platform at each end thereof, and a pair of hydraulic rams beneath the stage and adapted to engage in the said sockets to raise and support the platform above the stage. i i 8. A. theatrical novelty comprising in combination with :11 stage, a pair of hydraulic rams beneath the stage adjacent the opposite sides thereof, a platform over the aims, forwardly and rearwardly extending tracks on the stage between the rains, a platform carried on the tracks and of a width to I pass between the rams, the second mentioned platform normally being to the rear of the the platlee mounted on wheels on the track, means for moving the platform on the track to for Ward and rearward positions on the stage, a pair of hydraulic rams beneath the stage at each of such positions, and means Whereby the rains can be elevated to lift and support the platform above the stage at both such positions.

J AOK A. PARTINGTON. 

